Shocking CCL QF Conclusion – Seattle Trounced, Galaxy Upset

There are always two sides to every story – in this case, with the knockout stages of the CONCACAF Champions League, there are two stories inside both legs. And in the case of two of Major League Soccer’s perennial strongest finishers, there were no storybook endings.

Seattle 3-7 Santos Laguna

After a solid 2-1 first leg victory at Century Link Field, the Seattle Sounders made the trip down to face their opponents at the Corona Stadium near Torréon. Early on, the Sounders were unlucky to have two close-range shots saved by Santos goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez. But in the 8th minute, the entire complexion of the Quarterfinal changed starkly.

The reversal happened in the course of two minutes, as the Sounders’ lead turned into a deficit. The aggregate score was squared by Christian Suarez, who benefited from soft defending outside the area that enabled him to find some daylight. He sent a blast from just outside the eighteen barely out of the reach of Michael Gspurning and into the net. Two minutes later Oribe Peralta, who was being held back by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, spun and shot the ball with ease for a three-to-two aggregate lead.

There was a glimmer of hope for Seattle, as Alvaro Fernandez scored with a header in the 37th minute. It was Fredy Montero with a great cross from the far side of the field, which eluded the Santos defender and fell to Fernandez for the cool finish. The goal equalized the aggregate score as well as the away goals as they entered the locker room.

But Santos responded four minutes inside the start of the second half. The American international Herculez Gomez gave his side the spark they needed to win the match. He ripped a hard shot in the 49th minute to put Santos ahead for good, and got his second of the game in the 68th. Gomez heading the ball past Gspurning off a cross from Peralta.

Suarez got his second of the match in the 76th minute while Carlos Ochoa ended the slaughter with his goal in the 81st minute. But by the time those two goals happened, the result was in little doubt. Six goals in the second leg for Santos Laguna spelled the end to Seattle’s quest in the competition.

Toronto F.C. 4-3 Los Angeles Galaxy

A match-up of Major League Soccer clubs, the Los Angeles Galaxy fell victim to some troubling defensive lapses, as well as a couple of questionable calls from the referees, as Toronto F.C. found their way through in front of a limited crowd at the Home Depot Center.

It was Ryan Johnson and Nick Soolsma that teamed up for both goals that got the Reds into the Semifinals. The first was a solid cross from Soolsma into the Galaxy area in the 34th minute, and Johnson leapt in the air to head the ball in past Josh Saunders.

Throughout the first half though the Galaxy were more dangerous, but Toronto’s high line put a number of Galaxy runs offside. Mike Magee had a couple of opportunities go against him, one where his shot was neutralized by Toronto keeper Milos Kocic, the other incorrectly called offside by the assistant.

After the break, there was a moment where everyone thought the Galaxy would finally assert themselves in the tie. In the 55th minute, Ty Harden tried to prevent a Landon Donovan cross to Robbie Keane. Harden instead deflected the ball into his own net. But just when you thought the MLS Cup Champions were primed to find that pivotal goal, it was actually the Canadian side who created the magic.

Johnson and Soolsma connected again in the 67th minute for that dramatic dagger. Johnson was on the near side of the field. He crossed the ball into the area, and Soolsma came out of nowhere and smashed it past Saunders for the aggregate lead.

History has been made by Toronto, a team that has never finished in the Top 10 in the MLS standings – and thus never made the Playoffs – since their inception. If this result was any indication, that might just change in 2012. Aron Winter’s side has also eclipsed the 2008-09 Montreal Impact as the Canadian team making the deepest run in the Champions League. The Impact, then a USSF Division 2 club, qualified for the Quarterfinals that season. They bowed out in that round to – you guessed it – Santos Laguna.

And that’s who is next for Toronto FC. Los Guerreros are an interesting squad in their own right for many in the U.S., as Gomez continues to impress on his current scoring rampage as he tries to impress USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Toronto has a lot of European experience in their team, but will they have enough talent to overcome Santos’ firepower? As for Los Angeles and Seattle, they’ll need to shake off the disappointment and get back to work towards their league schedule.

34 Comments

Not so. All teams are salary handicapped which is dependent on
budgetary restraints set upon by the owner(s) of the club.
Surpassing a salary budget does happen but carries risk to the team
which is dependent on the degree of the salary increase and who the
creditor is. If it is a sugar daddy like Chelsea’s owner, then no
big deal as he’ll see this as a capital investment, but if it is an
institution who strictly views it as a loan, then the team must
tread carefully, for in the long run, this type of spending is
unsustainable and could harm the club in the future, again,
depending on the degree of this and other debts in this nature that
are still outstanding.

Dude, you have no idea what your talking about. Your confusing a
lot of subjects and topics and trying to argue that all teams have
a salary cap. Yes, all clubs have a salary budget but what
separates the World from MLS is that if a team increases revenue it
can increase its salary expense unlike the Sounders/Timbers who
have been very successful but they have to subsidize weaker
franchises so they don’t fold. Hell, a club can take out a massive
loan to make a run for champions league spot but if the club fails
only the club fails and not the entire league. See Leeds United,
New Castle United, West Ham, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool, Juarez
Indios (who failed but guess what Primera is still in play).

I’m not confusing anything and I’m not trying to argue all teams
have a salary cap. Only a league can establish a salary cap. I’m
stating that a salary budget is a form of a salary handicap. Even
though it is self-imposed, is still a salary handicap. Which teams
have been in danger of folding since contraction? I’m guessing it
would have to be between contraction to before ChivasLA and Salt
Lake were given franchises because the league wouldn’t add teams if
the thought of folding teams was still an issue and the league has
been even more stable since Toronto joined. I wouldn’t count DC
United as a danger to folding since it is established that playing
anywhere where the team doesn’t receive ancillary revenue is a
money loser for the league at this point. For as much as people
scoff at Dallas off the field, they’ve reported a profit because of
their revenue streams. It is fortunate for those leagues in Mexico
and England that the financial problems from those clubs you
mentioned have equal or near equal replacements for them.

You’re not from here, but I have to say, Seahawks Stadium is
centrally located. The alternative to tarping seats is building a
$60-$100M stadium that seats in the low 20K-23K range in the
suburbs or build a redundant exact stadium right next to Seahawks
Stadium/Safeco Field that would cost much more. There is no more
demand for tickets. Last week, 300 were available for opening day.
So considering that, it is a no brainer. Obligations to the league
such as giving up 30% of ticket revenue is simply the cost of doing
business. Adrian H is a smart guy. If the numbers were better in D2
with its independent teams and lack of a salary cap, the Sounders
would have stuck around and be a NASL (I miss playing PR Islanders)
team right now. But with the M’s, the Seahawks and the Huskies, he
knew that Seattle was a great D2 (Miami/SF/SD teams gone and
Atlanta disappeared for a while) city as a top 20 (which usually
has MLB as competition) market and a good D2 city in general, but
could be an excellent D1 city.

Because HDC is on school property, LA has an agreement with CSU
Dominguez Hills to limit weekday games to 7,500 to avoid congested
parking lots and traffic for night-school, etc.. Last year in the
weekday play-off game against NYRB, LA did open the entire lower
bowl and people parked at off-site locations and shuttles were
provided. No word on whether they tried this or not.

I think there’s also something in the agreement about noise
complaint. And honestly, I doubt CSU DH has large crowds for their
bball games and obviously the noise level isn’t the same as coming
from HDC.

SL was clinical with the counters in the 2nd half and the soft
goals allowed by the Sounders in the first half didn’t help when
the margin of error for Seattle was so low to begin with. Still,
the Sounders were down a goal at half and chose to play
aggressively, but the defenders continued to play terribly (and
frankly, were worn out at the end) and the mids didn’t win enough
balls back. The team needed goals and a less confident manager
wouldn’t have pushed the envelope. My flame for this tournament has
been extinguished. Oh well, there’s always this year. LA dug their
own grave. LA was the better team yesterday, but if Juninho wasn’t
the only person spared from the SL game, then they would have been
even stronger, which could have been the difference. But I guess
Arena thought he was playing a NASL team in the USOC or something.
Toronto did get the goals they needed so they move on.

Got an idea! in orther for MLS franchises to be suscessful at the
international level, our soccer leaders should create a World
Franchise Club World Cup!…………………..the down part is
that there would be only 3 franchises ( Corea, Australia and US)
…………………………………….but look at the bright
side, we will consistently make the semifinals!

I hear ya. Wanna here something funny. I ALWAYS ( except against
Washington ) root for the underdogs……but before you start
getting excited it is not worth following once it is WonItfFveTimes
U vs Powerhouse College……………..that doesn’t even get me to
the preseason in soccer unless you are watching a real league like
MLS…………………ps. in soccer I root for Man U and Barca. I
want to see how long people follow leagues where there is no chance
for their team to win. It can’t be forever. Or do Tijunana fans
just give up after a while, but follow the league in a zombie state
?

Not entirely applicable. Tournament is closed only to NCAA D1
schools. Programs in lesser divisions (NCAA D2/D3/NAIA have their
own title to win. Also, this is a nation that is a basketball
watching nation for its professional teams and NCAA D1 schools and
we are not there yet for club soccer. Lastly, interest is
heightened due to affiliation to colleges whether one is an alumni
or whether it is location or any other reason admiration exists for
the school. The difference in a final four run between a school’s
hoops program compared to its soccer program to school glory and
finances is too extreme. I think a more apt comparison would be the
Champions League where stronger teams get more bids but each nation
(or conference here) gets representation.

Maybe Charles is busy catching up at work because he actually goes
to games as opposed to exclusively watching the sport on TV. For
all the MLS flaws, I was thankful for it’s existence when Colorado
hosted Santos Laguna. It was a pleasure to see such a good team and
their fans in person in a competitive match. They schooled us 4-0.
Hopefully over the years Colorado gets better, but now I have a
favorite Mexican team in Santos Laguna. I’ve watched some great
Euro Champions League games and highlights this season; it is
always great to watch the sport at it’s highest level, but it is
also good to have a team that I follow in person.

Agreed Tom, I would go quite a few steps further. Watching the home
team win the first leg of the Champions League in person is
awesome. Nothing like it quite frankly. Adopting a Euro team on
TV….give me a
break………………………………………………. It is
a shame most of the leagues are sooooo poorly run, that most of the
world does not get to experience it unless they go the adopted
route……………………………………………… Glad
that Seattle is in there again for next year. Can’t wait, I hope we
are Monterrey’s group again, that is turning into a nice rivalry.
Win the group this year, and the Sounders would probably be in the
Semis right now. Fun stuff.

Yeah, the whole half of the league in the playoffs stinks. Top
quarter in might be too restrictive so top third sounds right. 40%
in is my limit on the high end of teams in. But the constant change
in format has something to do with the variance in the number of
teams in the past ten years due to expansion.

I agree Robert! It seems to me sometimes that they get together and
ask: “…What makes sense?” then after that they go :…..”Let’s
make the total oposit of that”……..”can someone propose what is
the most absurd way to do it?”……….is it any other way to
explain having two divisions with inter divisional games, without
single table but…then you have to make a single table to see who
qualifies for ……10 teamsw play-offs………play offs that are
one legged, then two legged……in which San Jose can become our
Western Division Champion…….to finish in an NFL style single
game final…………on neutral ground………now it will be on
the highest seeded….home ad away?…….NAAAHHHH that makes too
much sense, it will give both team fans a fear oportunity to
support their team at their home turf on the most important match
of the seasson……….naaahhhhh that’s out of
question!………………..and we are paying millions to make
such brilliant decisions!…..Comissioner makes more money than a
franchise can pay their players!?

I kindly request that you remove the photo being used in
conjunction with this story, which was neither taken by me nor to
which you have publishing rights. The photo was taken by Canadian
Press photographer Aaron Vincent Elkaim and is among his portfolio
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Should you not remove the photo within 7 days, I will report your
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they will take stronger action against you. Thank you in advance
for your compliance. Heather McCall